1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stuffed children's toys. More specifically, the invention is a closure for a doll with a keepsake photo. An opening in the doll, used to fill the doll with a filling material, is closed by closure ties that, when tied, give the appearance of an anatomical feature such as a navel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stuffed toys such as animals and dolls have been popular with children for many years. Children might collect many stuffed animals and dolls, and keep them as sentimental keepsakes into adulthood.
Stuffed toys typically have a fabric shell, with a hollow interior, that is made in the shape of an animal, a baby, or some other figure. The hollow interior is filled with a soft stuffing material such as foam before the fabric shell is sealed shut. It is common for stuffed toys to be manufactured with an opening left in the fabric shell through which the stuffing may be added later. An advantage of this is that the shells may be shipped less expensively, weighing less and taking less space than the filled stuffed toy. Additionally, the empty, fillable, stuffed toy shells lend readily to the retail sale of “make it yourself” stuffed toys, where children and other customers select a stuffed toy shell, fill it, and customize their stuffed toy with clothes, decorations, and other finishes.
Once the toy has been filled, of course, it must be sealed closed. A variety of closures have been used. Some stuffed toys are sewn shut, while hook and loop fasteners, buttons, zippers, or other closure means seal others. Sewing the toy closed has the advantage that the toy cannot be opened and it's stuffing spilled out. With a closure that can be reopened, such as hook and loop fasteners, buttons, and zippers, a child could open her toy and spill out the stuffing. In particular when a toy was originally stuffed by a machine, the child or parent's attempt to re-stuff the toy may leave the toy permanently disfigured. However, an advantage of a closure that is readily reopened is that a keepsake may be secreted inside of the toy and retrieved, perhaps years later, to provide a warm and sentimental memory.
Stuffed toys have been provided with dual closures, having an inner closure to retain a stuffing material and an outer closure to give the toy a more finished look. Generally, a filling tube is affixed to an opening in the toy's fabric shell, the filling tube being made of a fabric or cloth. A means to close the filling tube, such as hook and loop fasteners or a drawstring, is provided to close the filling tube. Additionally, a separate means is provided to close the opening in the fabric shell. Often, this closure is a zipper or Velcro. Such a dual closure provides the ability to open the toy's fabric shell without spilling the stuffing material. However, because the filling tube is typically uses a closure that is readily re-opened, the possibility remains that a child could open up her stuffed toy and spill out the stuffing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,617, issued on Mar. 4, 2003 to L. Capozzi et al., discloses a stuffed toy and a method of making a personalized stuffed toy. The toy comprises a fabric outer shell, with an opening for filling. A flexible conduit is secured to the outer shell, adjacent to the opening. The opening in the outer shell is closed by a lock-stitch or hook and loop fasteners, while the flexible conduit is closed by a lock-stitch or a zipper.
U.S. patent application Publication 2003/0027487 of J. Haug, published on Feb. 6, 2003, discloses a drawstring closure for a stuffed toy. An opening in the toy's fabric shell is simply drawn shut with a drawstring.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,347,405, issued on Sep. 24, 1942 to G. Ford, discloses another stuffed doll having an opening for stuffing the doll that is closed with a drawstring.
U.S. patent 2001/0046828 of M. Morris, published on Nov. 29, 2001, discloses a doll having a self-contained storage compartment used to store accessories such as doll clothes. The doll is molded from a soft and liable plastic material with a hollow interior, and has an opening into the hollow interior. A piece of plastic or fabric covers the opening, and is held closed by hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, or a zipper.
U.S. patent application Publication 2002/0168919 of J. Perkins, published on Nov. 14, 2002, discloses a plush toy with en embedded prize. A prize is contained inside of the stuffed toy along with the toy's filling.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a closure for a doll with a keepsake photo solving the aforementioned problems is desired.